Innocents
by jkkitty1
Summary: Continuing the drabble from 1/9. A jungle, Thrush, and rescue.


They walked down the side of the road, gun in hand searching for anyone alive.

Thrush had been here before them, and the village was wiped out.

"Why?" Napoleon asked disgusted.

"It is their way," Illya responded knowing that his partner's heart was breaking.

"Men, women, and children for a piece of information." Napoleon's anger filling his words.

A sudden cry brought the men to a mother hiding with a baby.

"You're safe,"Napoleon comforted her smiling.

"We cannot bring the others back, but we will keep them safe." Illya promised.

"I know," he said offering his hand to the woman.

Instead of taking it, she offered him the crying child.

He took the baby quickly handing it to Illya who raised his eyes.

"You had younger siblings, I didn't."

Illya gently started to rock the child and soon began singing a low song in Russian.

The child closed her eyes going to sleep.

As the woman stood with Napoleon's help she said, "You must protect her, she is what they are looking for."

"A child?"

"When they began to overrun the village, the doctor destroyed everything. She was the first to become ill and the only one who had received the vaccine."

"And she is getting better because of it," the woman continued.

"Napoleon, call for pickup. We need to get them back to headquarters,"Illya said shaking his head when the woman offered to take the child back.

"You are hurt,"he said nodding toward her arm that was bleeding.

Calling for a helicopter, he was told that they needed to go two miles north through the jungle to a clearing that would allowed them to land.

"We need to go but before we do, I'm Napoleon Solo, and this is Illya Kuryakin. We're from UNCLE."

"I am called Lindiwe, and she is Tsholofelo."

"Your name means one who guards and her means hope, correct?" Illya asked.

"You are right _kêrels; _you will save her? She is the hope of many people with the gift the doctor gave her."

"_Kêrels_?" Napoleon looked at his partner for an explanation as once more he was surprised by Illya knowledge of languages.

"We are not the police, but we are here to help you both."

As Napoleon, who had taken up the rear, entered the jungle shots rang out causing him to send Illya and the villagers on while he dealt with the men behind them.

…..

"Solo, Kuryakin come out. We just want the information. You'll be free to go." A voice called out as the shots stopped.

"We haven't the faintest idea of what you're talking about," Napoleon shouted back as Illya guided the villagers deeper into the jungle area. More shots were exchanged giving the others a chance to get away. Then there was silence.

Finally, the silence ended as a voice out again. "We don't want you dead, but we know you must have found it. We heard you call for a pick-up."

"Nope. Just figured if everyone was dead, you either had the information or it was lost. Guess we're both out of luck."

"Don't play us as a fool; you said you had the object. Now give it to us, or we'll take it over your dead bodies."

Knowing that the others had a head start, Napoleon set off in a slightly northeastern direction meaning to meet up with his partner once he lost Thrush. Seeing a movement on the side of him, he shot toward it and was rewarded with a shout.

He ran through the jungle as quickly as he could but the vines kept tangling around his feet. The sound of the pursuers started to come from all sides. Knowing they were boxing him in, he attempted to flee in another direction but became tangled in the vines falling just as his communicator beeped.

…..

Once Lindiwe relieved where they were going, she was able to show Illya worn paths that cut down on the difficulty of the jungle. She also ran well and when he commented on it, she said, "We learn to run as children. I have kept in practice."

Soon they arrived at the helicopter. It was one of UNCLE newer ones that emitted almost not sound. Helping the woman and child aboard, he stepped back down listening to the gunfire on his right.

"Hey mate, we need to get out of here," the pilot said looking around for anyone who didn't belong there.

Illya ignored him and called his partner.

"Napoleon, where are you?"

"Surrounded and down, take the villagers and get out of here." Napoleon shouted into his communicator.

"Just set it the tracking on and I will come to you."

"Kuryakin that's an order take off."

"I am on my way so you can either make this easy on me or hard, activate the tracking signal."

Napoleon knew it was no use arguing with his stubborn partner and did as asked.

Looking back at the pilot, "If you see anything or do not hear from us take off."

A second man in the copter said, "I'll come with you mate. From the sounds of those shots, you're going to need help."

Illya ran towards the sounds, the other agent following him.

….

Before he could rise, a half a dozen Thrush agents surrounded him. He rose placing his hands on his head.

"I don't know why you had to make this so hard Solo. All I wanted was the information. Now I loss some of my men and am not happy. The information?" He demanded holding out his hand.

"I told you once, I have no information."

The Thrush leader looked around, "Where Kuryakin? He must have it."

"He went the other way, we couldn't agree on which way to go." Napoleon said with all the charm he could.

A rifle butt hit him in the kidneys knocking him to his knees.

"I'm done with you Solo," the leader said pressing a gun to his temple. "The information or a bullet."

Napoleon said nothing just closed his eyes waiting for the shot. When it came, it was the rapid fire of two UNCLE special he heard first. As the firing stopped, he opened his eyes to see his enemies on the ground and his partner in front of him.

"Do you ever obey orders? I could've handed this." He demanded of Illya.

"Not when they are stupid orders. Shell we go, the pilot is waiting."

Helping Napoleon up Illya's hand became wet. The red that covered it was from a hole in his partner's arm. Napoleon's look of surprised showed he didn't realize he was hit.

Shaking his head, Illya torn a strip of cloth from one of the dead men uniforms tying it tightly around the wound.

…..

A week later Napoleon exited his office, the mission's report in hand to meet his partner in the hall. Illya handed him the lab information to add to the file.

"Twenty-eight people massacred, two village infected for no reason," Napoleon said sadly.

"True but now we have the antidote, the mother and child are with a foster family, and Thrush has been stopped. There was not much else we could have done," Illya said knowing it brought little comfort to the American.

Napoleon's only answer was a deep sigh.

"How about a drink?" Illya suggested.

"How about a few?" Napoleon countered.

Each knew nothing would make the hurt go away, but at least it might make it easier to accept tonight.


End file.
